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[smjjames]

THAT IS NOT THE GERMAN ANTHEM!
The German anthem is the third stanza - exclusively. There's hardly any faux pas an American can make than singing 'Deutschland Deutschland über alles.' And it becomes worse if they a) substitute a u for the ü and/or b) complain about Germans being embarassed about their anthem when it is pointed out to them that it is inacceptable to sing this particular stanza.

Well, I don't know what the German anthem is anyhow, so, easy mistake to make perhaps?

[mainiac]

This is almost entirely wrong:

I was talking about national anthems in the sense of laying out goals.  None of the places where you said I was wrong included any mentions of goals beyond "We'll fight for our country", which I already mentioned.

As an (unusual) American I take offense at you trying to find meaning in the lumbering monstrosity that is our national anthem.

[Frumple]

Do Russians acknowledge that Tchaikovsky was gay these days or is he just airbrushed into an asexual existence?

Wait, what?

... you didn't know? Have an overview, I guess.

[Helgoland]

I was talking about national anthems in the sense of laying out goals.

Read my post again then, and notice that most of them do lay out goals beyond "We'll fight for our country." The only ones I mentioned that don't are the Canadian, the American, and the Polish one.
And if you reread UR's original post, you'll notice he was talking about the Russian anthem not laying out any goals at all...

[mainiac]

You didn't specify any goals I didn't already mention ("fuck yeah") for Britain, France, Canada or US.  I was listing counterexamples not trying to lay out a universal rule so Germany and Poland are irrelevant.

[Helgoland]

There's a bit of a difference between 'Overthrowing tyrants' or 'Defend from invaders' and 'Fuck yeah'... But 'Fuck yeah' as a goal is ill-defined anyway.

[mainiac]

You need to filter that through the specific country in question though, the French Republic.  "Overthrow tyrants" means "keep our current way of government".

[Knit tie]

Do Russians acknowledge that Tchaikovsky was gay these days or is he just airbrushed into an asexual existence?

Wait, what?

He really was gay. He was kinda like Rob Halford, if Rob Halford wrote classical music.

But speaking about homosexuality in Russia, the general attitude is that it's okay to be gay as long as you keep it to yourself, i.e. stay in the closet. Not liberal at all, but here we should blame the prejudices of the general populace and not the law, which says precisely nothing about homosexuality apart from the extremely vague "gay propaganda" law, which is often interpreted by individual judges to follow the general Russian line of "keep is secret and you'll be fine."

[Comrade P.]

Do Russians acknowledge that Tchaikovsky was gay these days or is he just airbrushed into an asexual existence?

Wait, what?

He really was gay. He was kinda like Rob Halford, if Rob Halford wrote classical music.

But speaking about homosexuality in Russia, the general attitude is that it's okay to be gay as long as you keep it to yourself, i.e. stay in the closet. Not liberal at all, but here we should blame the prejudices of the general populace and not the law, which says precisely nothing about homosexuality apart from the extremely vague "gay propaganda" law, which is often interpreted by individual judges to follow the general Russian line of "keep is secret and you'll be fine."

My art history teacher in high school used to say the following about Tchaikovsky's sexual orientation: "I know all kinds of things about Tchaikovsky, but I love him for his music."

By the way, gays don't get drafted in Army.

[wobbly]

By the way, gays don't get drafted in Army.

Meaning you can get out of conscription? or you can't join? or both? This an official thing or just what happens?

[Comrade P.]

By the way, gays don't get drafted in Army.

Meaning you can get out of conscription? or you can't join? or both? This an official thing or just what happens?

Both. And official. As far as I know. Means by which you prove your orientation are not stated, though.

[Descan]

Be stereotypically feminine and/or sleep with the recruiting agent. :V

[MonkeyHead]

Be stereotypically feminine and/or sleep with the recruiting agent. :V

Some of Gunnery Sgt Hartmans more colourful phrasing are springing to mind.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Spoiler: Russian revolutionaries are scaaaaary (click to show/hide)

They remind me students that started everything in Ukraine. But everything is different. They will have no support from majority of Russian nationalists. They will have no support of Afghanistan veterans (or any other war veterans).  They will have no support of ordinary Moscow residents. They will have no support of tough men from rural areas. They will have no support of football fans.  They will have no support from MPs... and so on. Students and office workers can't make a revolution. Their enthusiasm is a nice detonator but only if suitable explosives exist nearby.

[mainiac]

Your imagery is troubling.

Edit:
Nobody brought up the whole arrest thing so might as well mention it.  There's an interesting contrast right now between the treatment of a couple of opposition politicians in the US and Russia.

US: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/nyregion/michael-grimm-in-a-reversal-will-resign-from-congress.html?ref=politics

Russia:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/31/world/europe/aleksei-navalny-convicted.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news